True Bearing
by Mindy35
Summary: KIBBS. Kate meets one of the exwives.


Title: True Bearing

Author: MindyHarmon

Rating: K.

Disclaimer: These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No Copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Kate meets one of the ex-wives. Set early on, season one-ish.

A/N: This was a very early idea of mine that I only just completed and with enormous difficulty. I began writing it during season one and if you recall the Kate then who was less scared of Gibbs and more challenging to him – well, that's the girl I'm going for here. Tony is slightly different too (just to let you know).

* * *

Kate had known it was going to be one of those days when she stumbled out of bed in the morning, eyes still closed and bumped right into the bathroom door. The small lump on her forehead had been thumping unrelentingly ever since.

She had jet-lag, was coming down with a cold and was having one hell of a that-time-of-the-month. She felt like she'd been behind the eight-ball all week and all she wanted to do was survive Friday and employ the weekend in getting her bearings.

Gibbs had been particularly scratchy this morning when he sent her for the witness statements, then to deal with the JAG lawyer already attached to the case and making noise about their involvement.

A few unproductive hours later, she got herself a large coffee and headed back to the office, where Gibbs pounced on her as soon as she entered:

"Kate, what you got?"

"Not much."

She didn't even have to look at him to know that wasn't the answer he wanted. She dumped her bag on her desk and reached inside her jacket for her PDA as Gibbs zoomed in on her, Tony not far behind. The pesky thing slipped off her belt and right out of her hand, landing on her boss' foot. She bent quickly and retrieved it, straightening with a red face and dizzy head. Gibbs looked at her frowningly.

"Sorry Gibbs," she shrugged apologetically: "but the problem is no one saw much of anything. The one decent witness is hiding behind navy protocol."

"Did you talk to the lawyer?" he demanded, knicking her coffee and taking a long sip.

"Briefly," she consulted her PDA as Tony, taking advantage of her obvious mess, peered over her shoulder and started picking imaginary lint off her coat. She frowned and glared at him till he backed off.

"She was reluctant to talk over the phone," she continued to Gibbs, who was further depleting her coffee supply: "but she agreed to a lunch time meeting."

"Name?" he barked.

"Ah…." she whacked her PDA as the screen started to fade: "Caroline Chapman."

She looked up in time to catch the look Tony darted at Gibbs. Gibbs shuffled slightly.

"What?" she asked, looking between the two: "You know her?"

"Time?" Gibbs snapped.

She sighed: "One pm. Some place called….The Rose Garden."

Gibbs turned abruptly and headed for the elevator. Kate shrugged and sent Tony a questioning look.

"Caroline Chapman…" he whispered: "Gibbs' second wife."

Fantastic. Kate sighed: "Thanks."

"Kate!" Gibbs summoned and Kate grabbed her bag again and strode to the elevator where he was waiting for her.

Whether he overheard their exchange or just knew in that way that Gibbs knows things, when she met his eyes, she could see that he was aware Tony had filled her in. He seemed to be daring her to make something of it, but Kate was beyond playing games.

"So….I'm thinking that you don't want to attend the meeting?" she asked as they boarded the elevator.

"Think again," Gibbs replied flatly.

They arrived at the restaurant early and took a seat on the terrace to wait. There were stone tiles underfoot and boxes of roses lined the courtyard where they sat under an umbrella, shielding them from the bright sun.

Gibbs ordered a coffee and Kate got herself a mineral water, gulping down two more headache tablets. She squashed the impulse to put on lipstick and instead watched Gibbs' fingers tap against the table.

He hadn't said a word to make her feel less uncomfortable with the situation. In fact, he hadn't said a word about it at all. All morning, she'd been trying to invent a reason not to be there, something else to do. She'd even asked Tony to take her place. But despite any curiosity, Tony had strong self-preservation instincts, and more than that; he loved to see her suffer. He just grinned and refused.

She tried to convince herself that she had nothing to be uncomfortable about. This was a business meeting – she'd had lots of them, with and without Gibbs. She assumed that he and this Caroline woman would behave themselves in a business-like manner. She would just do the same and stay as inconspicuous as possible.

Some part of her, though, the competitive side, felt a peculiar interest and mild envy toward this woman of whom she knew nothing. Caroline Chapman knew Jethro Gibbs in a way she didn't and most probably never would. And while her discomfort was significant, it did not altogether outweigh her curiosity.

She was at least pleased that Gibbs seemed as unfamiliar with the restaurant as her; the last thing she wanted was to be hanging out at some old haunt of theirs from when they were married.

He seemed pretty calm actually, she noted interestedly; not that he was one to display his feelings, but she did think she was getting better at reading him. Some kind of guidance as to what was coming would help though.

"So!--" she prompted.

"So, what?" he muttered, squinting across the courtyard.

"Caroline Chapman," she tried again, very carefully.

Gibbs looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Who are we dealing with here?" she asked -- he must know, after all. "Will she help us out or what?"

Gibbs didn't answer. Instead, his eyes drifted up over her head and she turned quickly to see an impeccably manicured woman in a colonel's uniform. She was probably in her early forties, Kate guessed -- tall, slim, very pretty with a strawberry blonde bob and slight smile.

She felt like groaning and sinking under the table for the remainder of the day, but she collected herself, standing and shaking the woman's cool hand as she introduced herself.

Kate noticed the way she looked Gibbs over as they then shook hands, Gibbs introducing her with her full name, Caitlin. He himself seemed absolutely determined to keep this entirely on a professional basis.

Taking their seats, Kate felt Gibbs shift his chair slightly closer to hers – in order to create the appearance of a united front, she supposed. A waiter approached and spoke to the colonel and, in the pause, without thinking about it or what it may look like, Kate took the risk of lifting the coffee in front of Gibbs and taking a quick sip. He was barely aware of her doing so, as he opened up the casefile and pulled out his notebook. But Caroline noticed and looked blatantly surprised. Kate felt suddenly guilty, though she didn't know why. She slipped the cup back on the saucer and Gibbs looked over at her:

"You want a coffee, order a coffee," he griped warningly.

"Sorry," she mumbled ruefully.

The other woman looked even more surprised.

He turned back to the file, pushing the cup and saucer back towards her with two fingers. Then he took a deep breath and began the interview.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Well, that had all been relatively painless.

They'd all behaved perfectly, he thought. He'd even refrained from staring at Caroline's new engagement and wedding rings. He'd noted them, of course, when she'd tucked her hair behind her ear with her left hand. He knew Kate would have caught that little detail too – he'd expect her too.

In fact, he noticed Kate watching Caroline very closely – not overtly – but he was sure that, if pressed, she could divulge the exact hue of her stockings, what perfume she wore, and how many olives she picked out of her salad and left on her side plate. Something in her observance made him proud, something in it made him uneasy.

As they exited the restaurant together, Kate lagged behind in an effort to be discreet. He wished she wouldn't – the last thing he wanted was to be left alone with his ex-wife.

He could handle talking business with her, but to have to chit-chat was beyond him, even now.

"So…" said Caroline, initiating the dreaded small talk: "How are you?" She smiled up at him that smile that always used to bewitch him.

"I'm good, I'm fine," he nodded at the ground. "You?" he asked as an after-thought and merely out of politeness.

Caroline glowed: "Wonderful!"

Gibbs looked around to find Kate, who was scrambling in her bag for her cell, her hair falling in her eyes. Could they _please _get out of here….?

She found it and answered: "Kate Todd."

She listened for a moment, then looked at him, whispering that it was Tony and moving off to the side to take the call. He rolled his eyes and looked back at his former wife, who was watching his agent with undisguised interest.

"Pretty girl," she noted, directing her gaze back onto him, with something in her eyes he didn't like.

Gibbs stiffened and tipped up his chin: "Gorgeous, actually," he countered – what did she care about Kate? "Smart, too," he added for good measure – he wasn't sure what she was trying to imply, but he was sure he didn't like it.

She smiled, intimately: "And completely in awe of you, I'll bet,"

Gibbs looked at Kate for a moment; she was talking speedily into her cell. She ran a hand distractedly through her hair, messing up its usual style.

"Not completely," he mumbled and turned back to Caroline, who still had that look in her eye, like she knew something he didn't.

Gibbs refused to be read, particularly by her. He refused to be a foregone conclusion.

"How's Trevor?" he asked sharply.

She sighed: "Terence is fine, thank you."

He nodded – he didn't care. Kate got off the phone and approached tentatively, saying they had to go. He blessed her inwardly, shook Caroline's hand perfunctorily, watched as Kate did too, and headed with her for their car.

I guess, he thought dryly -- considering that no sports equipment was involved -- that went pretty well.

In the car, Kate filled him on the conversation with Tony, saying he'd located the stolen vehicle they'd been hunting for and that it had plenty of blood to pull DNA from. She fell silent and Gibbs drove, slower than usual, and somewhat grateful for her understanding.

His mind was still on those rings, he had to admit. They were bigger than anything he ever gave her, but that was just incidental. What troubled him more was that Caroline had moved on, and he hadn't. He was still smarting, he was still hiding, he was still alone.  
The affair she'd started simply to wound him had turned into something legitimate, something long-term.

The third marriage could never have worked, he knew now, because he never did get over the second and the breach of trust she had inflicted on a heart already walking wounded. He felt so stupid…..

Pulling up at his local coffee joint, Kate got out silently and followed him in. Standing in line, he looked down at her, seeing the effects of the week on her face. Her lipstick had worn off, her mascara had bled slightly around her eyes and her hair was mussed in a way that he usually only saw when after she'd spent the night on a plane or in the office. Her clothes seemed to pick up on her mood and refused to sit on her frame quite right.

He reached out and righted her collar where it was sitting up at an angle. She looked up and smiled slightly, trying not to look tired.

He turned away and stepped up to the counter to order both of their preferred beverages. He felt Kate's surprised expression at this – it always surprised her that he knew these things about her. He got her a big one and they headed out, back towards the car, still in silence. He cleared his throat and vacillated a little before saying:

"Thanks for not asking, Kate."

She was silent a moment, then responded quietly: "You mean her rings?"

"Yeah…" he said, his voice a little rough. He wondered how to say this. He wondered why he wanted to. "Caroline….she fell in love with another man. Because I…. wasn't paying attention."

"I see," Kate said carefully.

They arrived at the car and stopped at their respective doors. Kate watched him over the hood, her face displaying compassion, but not pity, gravity but not judgment. He rested his coffee on the roof and stared off to the side for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.

"Probably not her fault," he acknowledged. Taking a long sip of coffee, he added: "She married the guy couple of months ago."

Kate blinked and looked down: "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Yeah, well," he shifted a little, and tried to inject his voice with some lightness: "She was always much to smart for me," he smiled ruefully.

Kate shook her head slightly: "Oh, I don't know," she murmured gently: "…I'd say she was the stupid one."

He glanced at her from under his brows, seeing her forehead creased thoughtfully, her head tilted to one side. Her eyes dropped and he took another sip, opening his door and signaling the end of their conversation.

Returning to the office, he allowed himself to enjoy the simplicity of Kate's presence beside him, her stride paralleling his, her shoulder brushing his arm in the elevator. He felt oddly secure having confided in her. He usually avoided and regretted letting things like that out, but Kate had been understanding and somehow, he felt thankful that she had been there the first time he encountered Caroline after hearing of her remarriage.

Doubt entered his chest when they exited the elevator and he saw Tony waiting for them, wagging like a dog wanting a bone – except Tony was hungry for gossip. Gibbs slowed his step and leaned down to her ear:

"Kate--"

Kate put up a hand, glancing at him: "Goes without saying, Gibbs," she assured him.

He stole a look at her and nodded in satisfaction.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Kate adjusted her sunglasses and smoothed one hand over her skirt as she seated herself on a bench to await Colonel Chapman.

Gibbs had surprised her by voluntarily revealing what he did about his marriage, the other day. It was so typical of him, she thought, that he'd shared it over the roof of the car, a huge hunk of metal sitting between them. There was only so much exposure he could allow.

But the confidence made her feel privileged; and he'd surprised her further when, after the initial meeting, he'd asked (not ordered), on their way back to work, if she would handle all further negotiations with his former wife.

She wondered why he had wanted to attend the meeting in the first place – whether his reasons were professional or personal – but she accepted the duty with a pride that came from knowing she was trusted by the one man whose opinion mattered to her the most.

Kate had contacted Caroline the day before, arranging to meet with her and her client. She felt much more up to this second meeting than she did for the first. Sitting with the two of them in that restaurant, she'd felt fifteen years old again and dull as could be. Caroline Chapman was an impressive woman but then Jethro Gibbs was an impressive man. They must have made a hell of a couple.

She supposed that any woman would have to have possessed something exceptional in order to captivate a man like Gibbs and, during the interview, she'd found herself trying to pinpoint exactly what that might be. Her mind was sharp, her manner confident, her voice smooth and authoritive and her beauty undeniable.

Yet, Kate had still felt some smug satisfaction from being the one to walk away with Jethro Gibbs, even if just in a professional capacity.

Her boss was not as unreadable as he'd like to think -- this woman had wounded him. And while he, she was sure, was not entirely innocent or blameless, something of her professional allegiance slipped over into the personal.

Nobody hurt a member of their team and got away with it. And while the wound originated before Kate ever joined NCIS or knew Gibbs, he was obviously still carrying it with him and her loyalty to him was steadfast.

"Good morning, Agent Todd," came a composed voice, interrupting her reverie.

Kate looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun: "Morning Colonel," she replied, and rose to her feet.

With a friendly smile and confident stride, Caroline led the way inside the navy hospital, to her clients' room. She sat close by as Kate conducted the interview with the young petty officer who currently was their best prospect for the investigation.

While she was staunch in her protection of his rights, Caroline was fair and cooperative, allowing Kate more than enough information to take to Gibbs and to implicate the petty officer's boss.

Stepping out into the corridor, Kate put out her hand and thanked her for her help. Caroline shook her hand, with a slow smile, wished her the best with the case and offered to see her out. Walking down the corridor, she spoke again after a slight pause, her voice more hesitant than before:

"Would you mind a piece of advice, Agent Todd?"

"About what Colonel?" Kate replied, glancing at the other woman's profile.

"About your boss," she said frankly and turned to face her: "Woman to woman?"

Kate started and looked away: "Actually, I don't think…"

Caroline began anyway, with sensitivity: "I know this is none of my business…and I have no idea what is going on between you two--"

Kate cocked her head to the side, her brow creased in confusion: "What do you mean? Nothing is going on."

Caroline smiled doubtfully: "I don't mean to offend you--"

"No--" Kate insisted, uncomfortably: "nothing is going on. Agent Gibbs is my boss, nothing more."

Her maddening smile and rational tone persisted: "Look -- Caitlin, isn't it? Jethro Gibbs is a good man. I'd never say otherwise, but…" she paused and sighed quietly: "He isn't an easy man."

Kate's jaw clenched: "Actually, I already figured that out."

Caroline nodded and backed off slightly: "Well, just….be careful, Agent Todd, that's all I'm saying. Use your head." There was no venom in her words and no criticism. Her eyes were kind and she added quietly: "Lord knows, I didn't." And with that, she turned and headed back to her client.

Kate stood for a moment in shock. Much as she tried to dismiss the warning, she couldn't help but let it penetrate.

She'd only worked with Jethro Gibbs for a short time, but her reactions to him, her fascination with him was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. She was aware that there was something that lay just beneath the surface between them, something that bubbled up occasionally and looked very much like mutual attraction.

At first she'd simply put it down to the way they'd met, the adrenaline high they'd both been on for the first few days of their acquaintance. When he'd offered her the job at NCIS, Kate had been thrilled. Despite the way she'd left the Secret Service, she was not without options, but NCIS seemed to be the most exciting choice and that was in no small part due to Gibbs.

Yes, she was interested in the work and keen to learn from him -- but more than that, she was eager to know him, see him everyday, speak with him one on one, gain more of that elusive feeling he'd inspired in her during their alliance on the President's plane.

Beyond that she hadn't given the decision much thought. He hadn't allowed her to.

Kate had always been one to think for herself, not give in to her emotions. She'd always used her head first; and no man had ever shaped her decisions, altered her path, influenced her choices before. But very soon she'd found herself, following him, and throwing herself into a job and world she knew very little of.

With a brief backward glance, she turned and found her way out of the crowded hospital. She was crossing to her car when her cell phone rang, she reached for it, but before she could even say her name, Gibbs had asked:

"How was your interview?"

"You were right," she answered briskly, trotting towards her car: "He said he suspected what his boss was up to all along, but he was in no way involved, Gibbs."

"Caroline say anything to you?" he asked next.

She blinked and stalled at the sudden change of topic. She hesitated, then lied: "No."

Gibbs sighed heavily: "What'd she say?"

Kate bit her lip and shook her head at herself. She shouldn't have hesitated -- it had given her away entirely. Or maybe he was just better than she thought -- how could he read her so easily, just by listening to her voice?

"I know the woman, Kate," he told her, decisively: "She'd never be able to resist."

"She just said…" Kate shrugged slightly as she leant against her car and looked up at the sky: "She said you were difficult. That's all."

Gibbs was silent for a moment.

"Tell me something I don't know," she added, softly teasing. This made him chuckle and she smiled, relieved.

"Get your butt back here," he ordered bluntly: "You've got an interrogation to attend."

"Yes, sir," she answered smartly before Gibbs hung up without another word.

She turned and unlocked her car, sliding into the seat and pulling her sunglasses over her eyes. There was a lot to be said for using your head, she considered, especially when it came to men and relationships. Something told her that that was more true of Leroy Jethro Gibbs than the average man.

She didn't understand the spark that existed between them – how it had materialized in the first place or how it continued to burn, despite neither of them encouraging it. Nor did she attempt to foresee where it might lead them in the future.

She knew she would have to be careful, she knew he was by no means easy.

Kate was a woman who used her head, first and foremost – and for the most part that had lead her to a life she was happy to live. But she did not intend to entirely ignore the rhythm of her heart, and wherever it might choose to lead her as well.

* * *


End file.
